Method of making container closures



April 21, 1936., J, M, YOUNG METHOD OF MAKING CONTAINER CLOSURES Original Filed July 10, 1929 body so that it may be Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING CONTAINER CLOSURES 7 Original application July 10, 1929, Serial No.

377,145, now Patent No.

1,920,288, datedAugust 1, 1933. Divided and this application June 27,

1933, Serial No. 677,927

4 Claims.

-- Thisinvention relates in general to containers, and more particularly to an improved method of making containers whereby the end closure is easily and effectively applied to a container readily removed therefrom.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 377,145, filed July 10, 1929, for Container closure.

An object of my present invention is the production of an improved end closure which has a scored depending flange and which utilizes the inherent elasticity of the metal of the flange to produce a very tight drive fit connection between it and a portion of a container body which has a predetermined size, and which connection resists disengagement except by severance of the flange: along the score line.

Still another object of my invention is the production of an improved drawn end closure having 2. depending flange o-r skirt with a score line defining a tearing strip, and which is applied to the container body by forcing or driving the depending flange, which has a predetermined relatively small diameter, over a container part :of predetermined size of a larger diameter than said flange, thereby stretching the metal of the flange or skirt within its elastic limits over the sealing area of the body to produce a permanent connection therebetween which can be made hermetic by the addition of a gasket or compound lining between the container top and the end closure.

Still another object of my invention is the production of an improved drawn end closure of simple construction which has a score line defining a tearing strip and an integral tongue extension, and which may be readily opened by means of a slotted key which may be conveniently attached to the countersunk panel of the end closure; i

Another object of my invention is the produc tion of an improved drawn end closure which is assembled and opened in the manner described, and which, after opening, is adapted to be used as a convenient reclosure.

Still another object of my invention resides in the method of assembling my improved drive fit tearing strip closure by means of simple and inexpensive pressure closing mechanisms.

Numerous other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof. 5

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one type of container to which my invention is applicable.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view with parts broken away to show the sizing of the container body by means of a die mechanism.

Fig. 3 is'a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the relative position of the end closure and body before the former is forced over the latter by a die mechanism.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, cross sectional view showing the same relative position of body and closure as in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the end closure fully forced home over the sealing area of the container body.

Fig. 6. shows the relative position of the end closure and container body after the tearing strip has been removed.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the reclosure separate from the container.

To'illustrate a preferred operation of my invention I have shown on the drawing a metal container comprising a cylindrical body H having a side seam [2, a bottom closure 13, and a top closure M.

The upper part of the container body II is bent inwardly to form an inclined shoulder I5 terminating in a reduced annular neck or vertical wall portion l6, and the latter has its extremity bent inwardly, downwardly, and outwardly to provide a rounded top curl H.

The top closure l4 comprises a sunken panel l8, a vertical wall part ill, a rounded shoulder or recess 29, and a depending flange or skirt 2| having an integral tongue extension 22. A short distance below the shoulder 20 and approximately on a level with the panel IS, the skirt or depending flange 2| is scored interiorly to provide a line of severance 23 for a tearing strip defined by the score line 23 and the bottom edge of the annular skirt 2!. This tearing strip is adapted to be torn away from the remainder of the cover by means of a slotted key 24 secured to the panel I8 in any suitable manner, the slot of the key 50 being adapted to engage the tongue 22 and the key constituting means for removal of the tearing strip and release of the cover.

To obtain the best sealing results from my improved closure it is desirable to have the sealing area of the body of substantially accurate predetermined diameter. This can be accomplished by die action, and one way of accomplishing this sizing of the container body II is illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein the container body is shown positioned between a support or lower chuck 25 and an upper chuck or ring die 26 having a recess 21 of a diameter which is precisely equal to the desired diameter of the sealing area 28 of the container body II, so that when the sizing die 26 is forced down upon a container body II, which has been placed in concentric alignment with the recess 21, the container body is brought to a predetermined diameter around the peripheral sealing area 28.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the finished and sized can body II is shown positioned upon a lower support or chuck 29 which may be the same part of the same machine as chuck 25 or part of another machine. The top closure I4 is placed over the open container body with the edge 30 of its depending flange 2| engaging the inclined shoulder I5 immediately above the upper extremity of the sealing area 28 at the neck bend I5, and the closure I4 is now ready to be forced or driven home over the sealing area 28 by means of an upper pressure member 3|, actuated by any suitable mechanism (not shown) ,engaging and pressing down upon the outer rim of the recess 20. Considerable pressure must be exerted by the member 3I to force and stretch the metal of the depending flange 2| outwardly and downwardly over the shoulder I5 and within the elastic limits of the flange to engage the same snugly about the body sealing area 28.

In all cases, the inner diameter of the depending flange 2I is smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing area 28. How much smaller, depends upon the weight of the sheet metal stock used and other varying or desired conditions. When the flange 2I has been fully driven home over the sealing area 28 of the body, a tight metal to metal seal has been created between the body and the closure.

The closure I4 may be made hermetic by placing a gasket or lining compound 33 in the closure recess 20, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. When the closure I4 is forced into sealing engagement with the can body, this lining compound or gasket 33 is squeezed between the top surface of the curl ll of the body and the inner surface of the closure recess or channel 20 and the closure is thus made both liquid and air tight,

In order to conveniently open my improved closure, the tearing tongue 22 is engaged by the slotted key 24 and, tearing along the score line 23, the tearing strip is rolled upon the key 24 in the usual manner. Thereby the stretched part of the cover flange is severed and the cover released. When the container has been opened by the removal of the tearing strip the remaining parts of the closure I4, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, may be employed as a reclosure, the depending flange 32, which remains of the flange or skirt 2| after removal of the tearing strip, and the wall part I9 being adapted to engage the curled top I! of the container.

It should also be pointed out here that instead of the sheet metal container body I I, a container body of glass or other solid material having 8.

sealing area of uniform predetermined size can be employed in connection with my improved closure without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the steps and their order of accomplishment of the process described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the method hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. The method of assembling an end closure to a container body, which comprises, forming a sealing area of predetermined diameter on a container body wall, forming an inwardly inclined peripheral shoulder on said body wall above said sealing area and terminating said shoulder in an upper portion of reduced diameter on said body wall to provide a sealing part, providing a container end with a depending flange of a predetermined smaller diameter than the diameter of said sealing area, and stretching said scored depending flange within the limits of its elasticity outwardly over said inclined shoulder and closely about said sealing area by forcing said end and said body together between a pressure closing mechanism, and hermetically closing the connection between the body and closure by the pressure of said sealing part against said container end.

2. The method of assembling an end closure to a container body, which comprises, forming a sealing area of predetermined diameter on a container body wall, forming an inwardly inclined peripheral shoulder on said body wall above said sealing area and terminating said shoulder in an upper portion of reduced diameter on said body wall having a curled extremity, providing a container end having a rounded recess and a depending flange of a predetermined smaller diameter than the diameter of said sealing area, applying a compound lining to said rounded recess of the end and expanding said flange within its elastic limits outwardly over said inclined shoulder and closely about said sealing area by forcing said end and said body together, and simultaneously hermetically sealing the closed container by embedding said curled extremity of the container body in the compound lining disposed in said rounded recess of the container end.

3. The method of making a container body which consists in forming the end portion of the body wall with a sealing area of predetermined diameter, forming an inwardly inclined peripheral shoulder on said body wall above said sealing area, and forming a cover for said body with a depending flange of substantial Width and with a predetermined smaller diameter than that of said sealing area, and with a recess to form a hermetic seal at the edge of said body, whereby, after filling the container, the cover may be forced onto the end of the body outwardly over said inclined shoulder to produce a hermetic closure, and the cover flange stretched within its elastic limits by the camming action of said peripheral shoulder so as to form a permanent attachment around the container body wall.

4. The method of assembling an end closure to a container body which comprises, bringing a sealing area of a container body to a predetermined diameter, forming an inwardly inclined peripheral shoulder on said container body above said sealing area terminating in a top portion of reduced diameter on said body, forming an end closure with a rounded recess and a depending flange of predetermined smaller diameter than the diameter of said sealing area, applying a compound lining to said rounded recess of the end, applying said end over said reduced top portion of the container body and centering the same by means of said shoulder, and expanding said end flange within its elastic limits closely about said sealing area by forcing said end outwardly over said shoulder and towards said body, and at the same time seating said top portion in the compound lining of the said rounded end recess to provide a hermetic seal.

JOHN M. YOUNG. 

